Main battery multiple gun turret sight mechanism



April. 14, 1959 G. A. CHADWICK ETAL 2,881,664

MAIN BATTERY MULTIPLE GUN TURRET SIGHT MECHANISM Filed July 27, 1944 v 3Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

FIG. 2

, INVENTOR George A. ChOdWlCk Philios H. Girouord April 14, 1959 e. A.CHADWICK ETAL 2,881,664

' MAIN BATTERY MULTIPLE GUN TURRET SIGHT MECHANISM Filed July 27, 1944 sSheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR George A. Chadwick Philias H. Girouord WeATTORNEYS United States Patent MAIN BATTERY MULTIPLE GUN TURRET SIGHTMECHANISM George A. Chadwick, Detroit, Mich., and Philias H. Girou'a'rd,Washington, D'.'C., assignors to the United States of America asrepresented by the Secretary of the Navy Application July 27, 1944,Serial No. 546,896

2 Claims. (CI. 89-41 (Granted under Title 35, US. Code 1952 see. 266

The invention relates to improvements in methods and apparatus forturret fire control and more particularly to improved sight arrangementsfor a main battery of large caliber uns emplaced in a plurality ofmultiple mount turrets.

Conventional ordnance installations aboard large naval vessels usuallyinclude one or more main battery gun directors for remotely controllingturret gunfire. An example ofsuch an ordnance installation is shown inUS. Patent 1,813,534 granted to H. C. Ford. These directors are equippedwith numerous instruments such as telescopes, range finders and orderreceiving and transmitting devices as described in the before-mentionedpatent. Associated with the gun' directors and located in a plottingroom is another installation of equipment for computing, indicating andtransmitting information necessary to point the various guns and set thesights continuously, as well as to train the director continuously onthe target.

An' important object of the present invention is the provision of amultiple turret main battery with independent turret fire controlequipment governing the operation of the gun elevating and turrettraining power drives.

Another object of the invention is the provision of 'a multiple turretmain battery. with independent local turret fire control equipmentselectively operable in lieu of either primary or auxiliary fire controlapparatus.

A further object is to provide multiple turret main battery fire'controlequipment permitting various selections and combinations of primary,auxiliary and individual turret fire control.

A still further object is the provision of improved individualindependent self-contained fire control equipment for a triple mount gunturret.

Yet another object is to provide a multiple turret main battery withselectively operable primary, auxiliary and independent'local firecontrol systems which permit individual corrections for such conditionsas erosion, roller path irregularity and elevating screw angularity.

The invention also aims to provide individual sight installations in theturrets including novel director-type telescope sights of improveddesign.

The invention further aims toward the provision of an improved method ofand apparatus for gun movement control as governed by the director-typetelescope sights.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthisspecification, and in which drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are views in side elevation and top plan, respectively, ofa ship provided with main battery fire control equipment according tothe present invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the fire control equipmentlocated in one turret. forming part of the main battery of the ship; and

7 2,881,664 Patented Apr. 14, 1,959

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Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of one turret showing inside elevation the general arrangement of the left control station, theview' looking inboard with side' armor removed; H

In the drawings, which for the purpose of illustration show only apreferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar referencecharacters denote cone sponding parts throughotitthe several views, thenumeral 15 generally designates a warship, such as a large battleship,having a main battery 16 comprising nine major caliber guns 17 emplacedin three enclosed, armored, triple mount turrets 18-20 located on theship centerline, two turrets 18, 19 forward and one turret 20 aft. Theright and left guns of each turret are called wing guns. Thus, eachturret includes a right wing gun, a left wing gum and a center gun. Twogun directors 21, 22 also located on the ship centerline, one, 21 forward in a control tower 23 and the other, 22 aft, are alternativelyusable to control the main battery gunfire. These gun directors 21, 22are of the conventional type hereinbefore described, and are associatedwith conventional director firing installations, also of the typehereinbefore described, and which installations are located in theplotting room 24' of the ship.

The present invention embodies arrangements. for turret fire control andfor control of the elevating and training gear which are substantiallydifferent from previous main battery gun positioning control systems.The apparatus hereinafter described is utilized in" whole or in part ineach of three different systems of fire control according to thefollowing brief descriptions of each.

Primary control is director control from forward or after main batterydirector stations through plotting room instruments and gunmountindicators'. In this system of control, each turret is trained andthe guns mounted thereon are laid by a gun train operator and by gunlayers who match pointers in their respective train and elevationindicators by operating conventional handwheel control units of theirrespective training and elevating gear. The gun train operator and thegun layers are at stations within the turret and remote from thedirector stations.

Auxiliary control is an alternative emergency director system for usewhen the plotting room equipment is out of commission. It is directorfire control employing auxiliary fire control facilities within thecontrol tower 23 or the intermediate turret 19, transmitting directororders through an auxiliary switchboard in that turret and thence to thegun mount indicators in the several turrets. The guns are laid and theturret is trained from the same turret stations as in primary control.

Local control is independent direction of own turret fire using ownturret sights, own range finder and own computer. The system is capableof such variations as, for instance, using plotting room instruments oranother range finder. The guns are positioned in elevation by the gunlayers in accordance with gun elevation orders mechanically orelectrically transmitted from a pointers station in the-turret. Trainingof the turrent is by direct control from the trainers handwheels to thetraining gear without requiring any action on the part of the gun trainoperator. The turret sights are part of the local fire controlarrangements and do not function in primary or auxiliary control methodseven though the services of one sight setter are required in order thatsight angle, which is a correction factor of erosion, will be introducedas hereinafter explained.

For each turret, the gun elevating, turret train. and sight controloperations are performed at different stations by the followingpersonnel Three gun layers, one for each of three independently drivenelevating gear control stations 25-27 on the electric deck 28 shown inFig. 4;

One gun train operator, also stationed on the electric deck 28, adjacentthe training gear hydraulic pump 29 or A-end unit;

Two trainers, located in right and left trainers stations 30, 31 eachconvenient to a different set of trainers handwheels 32, 33 andtelescopes 34, 35;

Two pointers, located similarly in right and left pointers stations 36,37 each convenient to a different set of pointers handwheels 38, 39 andtelescopes 40, 41;

Two sight setters, located similarly in right and left sight settersstations 42, 43 each convenient to a diflerent Zest of sight settershandwheels 44, 45 and indicators When the guns are under primary orauxiliary director control, the trainers and pointers are not requiredto act. However, these two methods of control do require continuousoperation of one of the sight setters indicators 46, 47 and itsassociated sight angle handwheel in order that the indicated value ofsight angle will be transmitted mechanically to three gun elevationindicators 48-50 at the respective gun layers stations 25-27 where it isused as a function of the three individual corrections for erosion.During this time the other sight setter serves only in a stand bycapacity.

Similarly, when the guns are under local control, the gun train operatoris not required to act. From his station 51, on the electric deck 28,this operator controls a positive clutch 52 permitting handwheel controlof the training gear to be shifted to the trainer manning thecontrolling telescope.

The right, left and center gun assemblies of each turret comprisevirtually identical arrangements which vary only as to positions ofparts. Separate elevating machines, which may be of the same generaltype shown in .Figs. 11 and 12 of US. Patent 2,404,127 granted to H.Ernst, are provided for each gun. The right elevating machine 53, shownin Fig. 3, is a conventional square thread screw 54 and nut 55 supportedin an oscillating bearing mounting and driven by a bevel gear 56 on apower input shaft 57 through an electric motor driven variable speedhydraulic transmission 58 which may of the type shown in US. Patent924,787 issued to R. Janney. The two other hydraulic transmissions 59,60 are of similar construction. Control of each variable speed hydraulictransmission is through hydraulic servo units 61-63 connected to thetransmission tilting plates 64-66 and arranged for alternative selectivedirector of local control through the gun layers control stations. Theservo control and response gear may be of the type shown in US. Patent2,561,023 to Kane. Each gun layer is located on the electric deck 28 andoperates by follow the-pointer orders mechanically transmitted to hiselevation indicator 48-50 from right or left pointers stations 36, 37 orelectrically transmitted by director.

The turret training machine 67 is an annular rack 68 withpinion-wormwheel drive generally indicated at 69 and electrohydraulictransmission arrangement 70 which may be of the type shown in the JanneyPatent 924,787 in which a pump 71 supplies a hydraulic motor 72 coupledto the worm of 69. Control is similar to that of the elevating gear withvariations permitting trainers input mechanically, from right or lefttrainers stations 30, 31 through a lever controlled clutch 73 in thetrain operators handwheel pedestal 74, to the control valves of theservo unit 75.

Each turret includes a shelf plate 76 or floor which overhangs the rightand left sides of the turret above which are located the pointers,trainers and sight settum with the upper portion of the turret duringrotation thereof. The first two decks below the shelf plate, listed intheir downward order of occurrence, are the pan floor 77 and theelectric deck 28. Located on the electric deck are the motors (notshown) for actuating the hydraulic variable speed power drives of theelevating and training gear. Still lower decks (not shown) areordinarily provided for the storage of projectiles and powder.

Turret sights The sight installations, identical in all turrets, includedirector type telescope sights whose design and method of gun movementcontrol are considered distinctively new. Each installation comprisesduplicate control stations A, B, located in the turret right and left,respectively, of the wing guns, above the shelf plate 76 and enclosed insight station compartments which provide fiameproof isolation from theother turret divisions. Each control station includes a pointerstelescope 40, 41, a trainers telescope 34, 35, and a sight settersindicator 46, 47. These are {arranged in a system of sight movementindicating and transmitting shafts and sight handwheel drives thatpositions the lines of sight, interconnects like elements of theduplicate right and left control stations and extends to indicators48-50 at each gun layers station 25-27 and to an indicator 78 at the guntrain operators station 51. The system of brackets, gearings, shafts,clutches, dials, connected parts and other elements of the right controlstation A comprise one assembly; the elements of the left controlstation B comprise another assembly.

The arrangement of these assemblies is such that the elements of eithercontrol station when clutched to the shaft system comprises a completesight. The elements of the other control station of each turret comprisea stand by station which may be quickly synchronized to take over sightoperation. Both control stations A, B, of each turret function alike,directly in train and by gun order in elevation, positioning the gunswith reference to the target. This is accomplished by sight settermovernent of the lines of sight in elevation and in train according tosight angle and deflection order communicated to the sight setter, andby pointer and trainer handwheel manipulations that bring aboutmovements of the guns in elevation and train, and coincidentally holdthe crosswires of the pointers and trainers telescopes on the target.

The components of the duplicate sight arrangements are practicallysymmetrical about the longitudinal centerline of the turret, the centersof the telescope objectives being right and left of the turretcenterline. The centers of the pointers and trainers telescopes areabove the shelf plate and above the centerline 79 of the gun trunnions.The fore and aft locations of the centerlines of the telescopes are,trainers forward, and pointers rearward of the transverse centerline ofthe turret. Elevation order, train order and sight angle vertical shafts80-82 from these stations extend through the shelf plate 76 to bracketson the circular girder 83 above the pan floor 77, thence obliquelyforward to elevation order, train order and sight angle cross shafts84-86 running transversely through the turret to connect the two sightassemblies. From cross shaft brackets, shafts 87-89 extend into the gunlayers and turret train operators compartments to connect to elevationindicators 48-50 and the turret train operators handwheel pedestal 74,respectively. The present sight mechanism extends as far as the pointsof connection of these shafts to the elevation indicators and handwheelpedestal.

The right and left pointers and trainers stations being of opposite handbut otherwise identical, the description of one applies equally to itscounterpart.

Painter's station Fixedly mounted on the shelf plate 76 within eachpointers compartment is a pointers station housing 90 containingelements for the support and enclosure of the deflection, elevation,sight angle and handwheel shafts and gearing. This housing includes abase section 91 supmerges-a herring synchronizing! diafliousiii'g' 9'2"and a gun eiva tion' ordr transmitte'r 93i aiid-a ca'p portion} at 9'4-which encloses a telescope elevation bracket 95} sighfdeffection gearing96 and 'sightelevation gearing; 97.

Supported on trunnions 98 for deflection movement aBbutvrt icaI trunnionbearings at- 99" in the" elevation bracket 95" is a telescope holder 0supporting the pointers telescope" "or 41". Fixed to theinner endfiiceofthei fle's'bbph0l'di" c'astingtis a rackjge'ar 101. mesh ing a" pinion102"'d1 iveh'by'a1f axially mounted shaft" liB within a' uaw'shaft'fportion 104" of the elevation bra "lief J Movement of the rackgear" 101 deflects" the: tel cope holder in train when the axial"sha'ft'1 03 carry gthe deflection pinion- 102 is? rotated by aisigh'tideflection" wo'rni shaft 105 through a deflection'worni 106 andwormwheel 107. In order't'o supplyelevation move: ment to the telescopeholden100=and=thus point the telescope;40 or 41, the hollow shaftportion'104of the elevation awake-93 isro'tatdby an" elevation wormshaftIilS' elevation worm 109 and sector ear 110. Thesightf deflectionand elevation worrn' shafts 105', 1 08 exam? tlirbiigh the trainers'station arid are cb'nhe'cted' iritb a coinpeiisating'difierntialand-'spuigeartra'in 1 11 tion equipment; The elevation worm 109- is alsoconnectedt'o" a pointers 's't" ion" differential llz th'r'oughsiglitangle b'ev'el gears 11$,Iac'ross shaft 114 and" meshing bevel ar' 'ils,116, one of which gears 116 is in'tgi'al with a differential be'v'elge'ai'llff td-foiiiia dual? bevel gear combination 118; Eiit'ending.axially thrdugli' the gear combination 118 is a" sight angletransmit-ting'shaft' 1 19 i isaifiitedaspider 1 20. This spiider'120"is'roe ii aplaiie" perpendicular to the sight angl'e'shaft rri'e's twdidlerbevlel gear's"121 1'22' inplanetary relation between the" differentialbever gar'117'oftl'1'e combination and another difiei'n'tial' bevel ear123' forming part of abevei and spur 'gear combination 124. The spurgear 125- ofthe combination meshes with a spur gear 126 of aha-ndwheeland elevation order shaft gear train 12780 as tocombinesightangle transmitted from the sight settersstation with pointers handwheelelevation thereby positioning. the pointers. telescopein elevation andsupplyingtgun elevation orders. y p The pointers handwheel and ordershaft gearing. 127 includes meshing bevel-gears 1 28 connectingl the'spur gear shaft 1-29with the handwheel shaft 130. This hand wheel shaft130 is mounted on the handwheel bracket- 131 attached to the pointeris'station housing 90. The gearingv alsdincludes meshing bevel gears 132connectingth'e'sp ir gear shaft 129 with the elevation order shaft- 80.This elevation order shaft -80-isinterrupted between the bearingsleevesby a pointers station synchronizing cliit'ch 135 anditsrelated indicatorgearing I This synchronizing clutch 135 with its indicator-I dials andgearing is combined in an assemblage for synchro nizing the pointersstation equipment with the gun elevation order indicators 49-50; Theeman te a positiveeiigagernent'pirftype designed-forengagement iri onlyone position of clutch parts for every 360 of relative shaft rotation. 7ch hiz'i'ng c'luteh dials the clutcl'i parts are disposed in positionfor engagement whereupon the pointers station equipment and the gunelevation o'r'derindicators ar'e a'c curately synchronized. Referring.to Fig. 3 for details, the clutch u" 'er jaw 1'37 isaxiallydisplac'eable on a spli-ned seeti'orra t 133; the splines notbeing? s'howm but be go'f' zi -conventional" nature, of theverticalelevation or i shaft 80' ju'st below the u'pper synchronizingdial bevelgem-"1 39b The; clutch lower jaw -isconibined witi'i a doublebevel gear 14-1 and contains holes for receiving and matching differentdiameter pins" 142; 1.4 3 of the upper jaw 137. The upper bevel gear 144of the combination is for the synchronizing dial mechanism and thelower" bevel gear 145 is fo'n the gun elevation order transmitter 93.The matching dial bevel gears 146, 1 47 When the pointer matches his syn6 are sfiaftconnectee te worms' 148- and wormwfieeis" 14'? which rotateconcentric disc and ring dials-150f151 in the synchronizingtdial housing92-.

. Trainers station Fi'xedly" mounted on the shelf plate 76 within each"trainers station is a'- pedestal 152; for supporting the trainersstat-ion" equipment on a-le'vel higher thazrthat'ofi are pointer s stat-ion; su portingand enclosing the" various elements Of eacIi trainersstation;as well as the asso= ciated sight settei s indicatbf4fi or 47and' sight setter s; synchronizing cliat'ch- 153, -isa ltiouisirig'15'4",- including: a base section'- 15? and a cap portion-- 156'.

The ffiinrs station iti'clhdes a! telescope ho1der"157 si'nii were: ofthepoiiiters stationexcept that'it is provided 'with spacedahnularoea'iin'gs' at 158", 159 sup porting the telescope 34 or 35 forrotation within the liolder' abo its league rial anis'gth-i's r'ot'a'tio'nbeing "p not shown) mounted on the eleseope" can be lockedagainst rotation re'la'ti-v tfdtheholde't by alockin' g pimnm shown,mounted: oir-the' 'holc ier cap The holder 157' is geared tdthe;defle'etion -vv'oriiiw lieel shaft 105 by apinioh and rack',-siini'- larto those of the poin'te'rs station, and is 3 supp orted by an elevationbracket similar to that of the" poiriters sta-' tion, but with ai-modified shape which allowsi'form-otion of the-telescope iri elevationindependently of a the eleva tieniiraeketmetibm The compensatingdifferential and spur gear train 111'? shown in Fig. 3 serves tocompensate for the deflection of the telescope 34 01 35 due toplanetary"action: of the telescope: holder deflection rack and pinion;- This arrangeme'nt is so designed that the-worm shaft' b'evela' gear 162 mesheswith tworspi'der mounted idler beveh gear's- 163, 164* and the'spidermounted-gears mesh with the bevel gear portion 1650f a spur-bevel gearcombination 1 66; this coriibi'r'ration in turn riieshin'g,= through itsspur gear pbi tiofi-l' ;=witli ani=dleif"spu i" gear 1'68 in trairi with-an elvat onsli *t 'spur' gear 169*. The spider is fast on a sliaftK1 70' e'ic teiiding' freely through the spur-bevel gear combin'at-ioiiFixed' on the spidershaft 1'70"i s=" a bevel ge'ar 171 nieshin'gwithabevel gear 172 fast on the deflection input Shaft 17 31StilF-referi'iiigto Fig. 3'; the liand wheel and tr'ai'n-order shaftearing 1'74, enclosed and supported by theh'an'd' wheel b cket 175 shownin 'Fig; 4i connectsthetr'ainers handwhee Q33 to'the' train order-shaft81; The gear systent comprises two sets 176'; 17-7 of bevel gears'with ahandwlieel shaft and: aconnecting sliaft mounted on the hand wheelbraeket 1 75;"

The sight angle" synchronizing c'lutcli 153, shown" in Figs? 3 and 4,-is designed to allow the gun elevation indicators 48-50 and the" sightangle cross shaft 86 to be clutcheddn or out and. synchronized with thesight setters indicator 46 or 47; and the trainers and pointersstations-. T o'thi's end; a 180 engagemenvjaw type clutch 1 5 3 'is*pr'ov'ided'i Thisclutcli inel'udes a' vertically sh'if't able jaw"1'78controlled b'y' means of a throw-out collar 1 79am hand lever 1110; thisjaiw being splined on the si'glitangIesliaft'SZ The other clutch jaw 181 is'mon1i'ted for rotation relativeto the" sightangle shaft 82 andforms par-ref a spurandbevelgear'cornbination 18 -2; the" spur gear 133'driving one, 135, of'thesi ght' angle synchronizing clutch dials throughthe train 184- of shafts and gears shown in Fig. 3. The other sightangle synchronizing clutch dial186'is" driven thesi ght angle shaftthrough th'e nieshingfBeveI gears 187 and shaft 188. The bevel gear189"o'f the sp'ur bevel combination 18 3* meshes with a bevel'geari190connected t'oa" shaft 119 from the pointers station differential11 2. The latter" bevel gear 196 also meshes w'ith a bevel gear 191'fast on a shaft 19? connectedlto the sight setters indicator "47. Thisassembly'is attached' tothe baclcof thetrainers' station housing 154andpedestal 152 with the clutch handle 180 extending Elevation order,train order, and sight angle shafts The gun elevation order bevel gearbrackets are identical right and left units, each functioning as shaftbearing, bevel gear housing and bracket at the right and left rearwardends of the gun elevation order cross shaft, the left bracket 194 beingshown in Fig. 4. These assemblies are connected by universal joints 195and shafts 80 to the pointers stations and by flexible couplings 196 tothe gun elevation order bearing brackets 197. These brackets arefastened to a plate welded to the circular girder 83.

The gun elevation order bearing brackets 197 are identical right andleft assemblies which serve to support the rear to forward sections 198of the gun elevation order shaft.

, Two sight angle, gun elevation and turret train order bevel gearhousings 199 of opposite hand but otherwise identical construction serveto support the three cross shafts 84-86 at their outer ends. Locatedinwardly of these housings are right and left sight angle gear brackets200 connecting the vertical sight angle shafts 82 to the after ends ofthe forwardly extending sections 201 of the sight angle shaft.

Two turret train order upper bevel gear brackets 202 of opposite handbut otherwise identical construction connect the vertical sections 81 ofthe turret train order shafts to the after ends of the forwardlyextending sections 203 of the train order shafts.

Three identical brackets, not shown, each support and enclose meshingbevel gears 205 connecting the sight angle and gun elevation order crossshafts 84, 86 to the three different gun layers elevation indicators48-50.

Turret train order selector clutch assemblage The turret train orderselector clutch assemblage 52 is a combination of two jaw type clutches206, 207 and a bevel gear arrangement 208. This selector clutchassemblage provides for selecting control from either the right or lefttrainers station. The jaw type clutches 206, 207 each comprise a movablejaw 209, 210, spline mounted for axial shifting on its train order crossshaft 85, and a combination jaw and bevel gear 211, 212 rotatablymounted on the same train order cross shaft 85 and geared to thevertical shaft 89 from the turret train order lower gearing at 213. Thetwo movable jaws 209, 210 are positioned by forks 214, 215 that areconnected by a link 216 and are controlled together by a sector gear217, and a spur gear 218 on a shaft 219 that extends upwardly from anoverhead control lever 220 at the train operators station. This lever220 is releasably positioned by a suitable detent not shown but of aconventional nature.

Turret train order lower gear bracket Connected to the left gun girderat the train operator's station is the turret train order lower gearingand bracket enclosed at 213 as shown in Fig. 4. This gearing at 213transmits turret train order from the vertical selectorclutch-drivenshaft 89 to a horizontal shaft 222 extending to the turret trainoperators handwheel pedestal 74. The coupling connecting this horizontalshaft 222 to the handwheel pedestal marks the extent of the modifiedsight design.

Sight hood assemblies The sight hood assemblies, not shown, since thedetails thereof are not an essential part of this invention, are allsimilar, but they vary as to opposite hand of the pointers and trainersright and left control stations, and as to provision of space for alarger right than left deflection of the telescope. There is also adiiferent arrangement of the door operating mechanism in that it isabove the telescope at the pointers station and below the telescope atthe trainers. The sight hands are mounted on the-turret armor over thesight ports. Hinged to each sight hood is 8 a bulletproof steel doorprovided with the operating mechanism which serves to open and close thedoor, retain it open and clamp it shut.

Sight setters clutch warn ing circuit The sight setters clutch warningcircuit comprises an arrangement of a conventional nature of twoswitches, and two signal lights for indicating to each sight setter theposition of the other sight setters sight angle synchronizing clutch153. As shown in Fig. 4, switch 229 is mounted on a synchronizing clutchcase with a plunger in the path of travel of the clutch control lever soas to be actuated thereby. The switch 229 is of a normally open singlethrow type and is in circuit with a signal light in the opposite sightsetters compartment so that the light is on when the clutch is engaged.

Sight setters indicators As shown in Fig. 4, each sight settersindicator 46, 47 is located on the forward side of the respectivetrainers station housing 154. These indicators at 46, 47 receive sightangle, sight deflection and battle orders, and transmit sight angle andsight deflection mechanically to the pointers station, trainers stationand gun elevation indicators. The instrument is provided with handcranks 44 or 45 for setting values of sight angle and deflection intothe sights. These values are set by follow-the-pointer orders in Primaryor Auxiliary control but in Local control are set in response to oralorders from the local computer. Dials are provided for indicating sightangle, deflection, and battle orders, respectively. Follow-thepointerring dials indicate against fixed outer scales the amount and directionof sight angle and deflection adjustment of the lines of sight andindicate against electrically positioned inner dials when the sights areset in accordance with orders received.

Gun elevation indicators The gun elevation indicators 48-50, shown inFig. 3, are located at each gun layers station, give orders for the gunlayer and provide correction to the gun response before it is indicatedas elevation on the dials. It is designed to receive gun elevationorders electrically from the controlling director and from the pointersgun elevation order transmitter 93 and to receive gun elevation ordermechanically from the pointers stations. Indicated by these instruments48-50 is the relation of gun position to gun elevation order, and theactual gun elevation, corrected for erosion and roller pathcompensation. A correction for difference in equivalent service roundsfired, based on the quantities sight angle and difference in velocityloss, is also indicated. The values of sight angle are set mechanicallyby shafting 192, 82, 201, 86, 88 from the sight setters indicators 46,47.

Gun elevation order transmitter The gun elevation order transmitter 93shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is located at the pointers station and transmits,for local control, gun elevation order to the hereinbefore described gunelevation indicators 48-50. Inasmuch as the order is equal to thedepression of the pointers sight, the sight acts as a local directortransmitting gun elevation order to the elevation indicator.

Turret train indicator and transmitter Located in each turret at thetrain operators station is a turret train indicator and transmitter 78having dials serving to indicate the required angle of train, toindicate that the turret is trained to this angle, to transmit correctedtrain angle, and to supply the necessary correction to turret train togive the correct train angle.

Operation The relation of the sight to the other fire control equipmentis shown by its operation in local control.

The auxiliary computer, during local control supplies values of sightangle andtsi'ghtideflection by oral order to the sight setter. Bysetting dials on the sight setters indicator 46 or 47, the sight setterat either the right or left control station transmits sightangle andsight deflecion mechanically to his respectivepointers and trainersstations. One sight setter, receiving orders electrically or orally,operates in each type of control, that is, in director, auxiliary orlocal control, to supply sight angle to the gun elevation indicators48-50 for use in erosion correction at the gun layers stations. Thepointer transmits elevation orders electrically by means of gunelevation order transmitter 93 or mechanically through shafts 80, 198,87 and gears to the gun elevation indicator 48-50 of each of the threegun layers. At the gun elevation indicators 48-50, factors such as sightangle and velocity are added for erosion correction, and the propercorrections for compensation of roller path irregularity and elevatingscrew angularity are introduced, to indicate elevation order and gunelevation on the dials. Each gun layer then operates the elevating gear53 to lay the guns by matching dials on the gun elevation indicator. Thetrainer controls the turret training gear 67 directly through themechanical system of trainers handwheel 32 or 33, shafts, gears andselector clutch 52 to train the turret. Thus, the pointer and trainerlay their sights on the target and mechanically combine sight angle andsight deflection to supply gun elevation order and turret train order,respectively.

Under the director and auxiliary control methods, pointers and trainersare not required to act, the guns being then controlled in elevation bythe gun layers and in train by the turret train operator. The gun layersand the turret train operator control the guns in elevation and train bymatching pointers in their respective elevation and train indicators48-50 and 78.

The sighting can be accomplished by the sight setter, pointer andtrainer on the same side of the turret, by combinations using the sightstations on both sides of the turret, or by the sight stations in thesecond turret acting through transmitters and indicators to the firstand third turrets. Using the sight stations on either side of theturret, the sight setter, pointer and trainer of one side perform thesight function entirely independent of the other side. The pointer caneither follow the target continuously, causing the trainers telescope tofollow his telescope in elevation, or fire on selected level, making itnecessary for the trainer to unlatch his telescope by removing thedetent thereof and himself position the telescope in elevation. Thepointer on one side can operate with the sole purpose of keeping histrainers telescope on the target in elevation while the pointerstelescope on the other side is fixedin' elevation for selected levelfiring. Any of the telescopes not in use can be employed for checking.However, in all combinations where both sides are used, both sightsetters indicators 46, 47 must be in operation. Under sight control fromthe second turret, the sights of this turret are used as in localcontrol except that gun elevation orders and turret train orders aretransmitted to the first and third turrets by sight station elevationorder transmitter 93 and by turret train indicator and transmitter 78.

All of these various selections and combinations of control are made byuse of the sight angle and pointers elevation order synchronizingclutches 153, 135, the turret train order selector clutch 52, and theturret train operators selector clutch 73. In connection with each ofthe synchronizing clutches, there is a synchronizing dial which must bematched before engagement of the clutch. It is not intended that the twosynchronizing clutches of the same system be engaged during operation.It should be observed that in all combinations of control sight angle issupplied to the elevation indicators 48-50 by the sight setter on theside where the pointer is acting.

' As previously pointed out, the pointers station difiefi ential 112serves to combine sight angle transmitted from the. sight settersstation 42m 43 with. pointers handwheel elevation thereby positioningthe pointers telescope in elevation and supplying gun elevation orders.And the differential 166 at the trainers station operatesto compensatefor movement of the trainers telescope in deflection due to theplanetary rotation of the deflection rack 101 around the pinion 102 whenthe telescope is rotated in elevation. For each revolution of theelevation bracket the compensating differential and gear trains 166, 112add one revolution to the deflection pinion 102 in the same direction.This adds to or subtracts from the sight setters deflection inputresulting in compensated deflection.

From the foregoing it is clear that the herein described equipmentprovides director type telescope sights mounted on and movable with theturrets for individual turret gunfire control with means for setting theoptical lines of sight of the telescopes at angles with respect to theturret guns corresponding to computed sight and deflection angles inorder that the training and pointing operators, in maintaining theoptical lines of sight on a target, will offset the guns relative to thetarget line of sight by the proper lead angle. It is also clear thatturret gunfire control may be readily transferred from remote to localdirection or vice versa with proper synchronization of the system so asto impart maximum flexibility of control to the ordnance installation.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for sighting a battery of guns mounted in a plurality ofmultiple gun turrets at least one of said turrets being equipped withdual control stations each of said stations including a pointerstelescope, a trainers telescope, a sight setters indicator provided withsight angle and sight deflection handwheels, pointers and trainershandwheels, means including diiferential gearing transmitting sightangle and elevation control to the pointers telescope, and also to thetrainers telescope, from the sight angle and pointers handwheelsrespectively, means transmitting sight deflection angle to the trainerstelescope, and also to the pointers telescope, from the sight deflectionhandwheel, said telescopes being movable in train with said turretresponsive to training control of said turret from the trainershandwheels, and a gun elevation order transmitter, gun layers elevationindicators one for each of the guns in said battery, means releasablyengaging the pointers handwheels in any selected one of said controlstations in synchronized relation to the gun elevation order transmitterof said control station and to the elevation indicators of said oneturret, means transmitting elevation orders from said gun elevationorder transmitter to the elevation indicators of said remaining turrets,means for applying the indicated elevation controls from said elevationindicators to the respective elevating mechanisms for the individualguns of said battery, a train operators station in each turret equippedwith a train indicator and transmitter unit, means releasably connectingthe train indicator and transmitter unit of said one turret to thetrainers handwheels of any selected one of said control stations, meanstransmitting the training control from the train indicator andtransmitter unit of said one turret to the remaining train indicator andtransmitter units, and means at the train operators stations of saidremaining turrets for applying. the train indications to the respectivetraining mechanisms of said remaining turrets.

- 2. The apparatus set forth in .claim 1 provided with means applyingthe training control from the train operators stations to the respectivegun elevation indicators of said turrets for turret roller pathirregularity compensation.

ReferencesCited .in; file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Blendy'eta1. -1; Novf20, 19,23

Willard H--. Jan. 2, 1934

